Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.     This morning, Angie woke me up at 4:30. She was so excited and said that she had something that she wanted me to see. As I crawled out of bed, she explained that she’d had a terrible dream and couldn’t go back to sleep. When she came into the living room, she’d heard something outside. As I approached with her, I heard it, too.     I could hear a bird chirping outside our door. Now, let me stop and tell you that we love birds and have feeders and houses everywhere for them. We’ve had a bluebird in a nest raising her young and we have watched as … Read entire article »

 Living below in this old sinful world Hardly a comfort can afford Striving alone to face temptation so Where could I go but to the Lord   Where could I go, oh where could I go Seeking a refuge from my soul Needing a friend to save me in the end Where could I go but to the Lord   Life here is grand with friends I love so dear Comfort I get from God’s own word Yet when I face the chilling hand of death Where could I go but to the Lord   Where could I go, oh where could I go Seeking a refuge from my soul Needing a friend to save me in the end Where could I go but to the Lord   This morning I woke up singing this song. Do you ever do that? Wake up with a song flowing through your mind? … Read entire article »

     Whenever Angie is cooking, she often saves the best for last. My favorite things seem to be the leftover items that she’s miraculously transformed into a delicious stew or soup. She’s prone to get that old wood stove fired up in the cookhouse on weekends. While she’s cooking bread or some other item, she’s got this stew going on the back burner. It takes a long time to get it finished, but it’s always worth it. I mean, those ingredients simmer together and you can’t tell what’s coming until that first bite. Well, last week, the Lord did some back burner cooking for me. And that bite was glorious!       There have always been those items in scripture that don’t have immediate answers. They are the things that scholars don’t … Read entire article »

 I would like to ask you a few questions. Do you pray? Do you pray often or only a couple times a day? Would you consider yourself to be a person of ceaseless prayer?  When you think of your day, what times would you say you pray? Do meal blessings or bed time prayers come first to mind? Is it possible that these few moments in time are really the only time we pray? Should we do it more?  To really determine how much we should pray, we must first understand what prayer is. Webster’s Dictionary says prayer is ”an address to God in word or thought”. Prayer has many different meanings. Usually we use prayer to ask God’s guidance, for answers to questions or provision for tangible things we need. But prayer is so much more than that.  Prayer is the most powerful way … Read entire article »

   I am sitting at home, finally. It seems like when I’m away, I can’t get back quick enough. You see, I had to go to a school in Atlanta this past week. Angie went with me and that did make things better. But the children stayed behind and so did our home and our place. As far back as I can remember, my Dad used the term “place” when he talked about where someone lived. He’d say, “They sure have a nice place”.   Well, this week, I remembered my place. I constantly thought of my home and of the girls. It’s been stated that home is where the heart is. I suppose that’s true. My instructor in Atlanta, Steve Haskett, is a man of constant travel. He goes all … Read entire article »

     I was in a Bible study with my family the other night, when I said something that made them all laugh. We had been discussing the fact that scripture clearly states that Christians will be persecuted. In Matthew 5  the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount begin. Jesus is giving the statements that clearly define the correct attitudes of the born again.  I have always taught that they were much like a “job description” of today. In other words, this is what the Saints of God have that distinguishes them from the world.     It was then that I spoke of the “undercover agent” Christians; those that want to be included with the number on judgment day, but really don’t want to live any differently than the rest of the world. I remembered … Read entire article »

Recently I have been pondering the different times in my life when I have become offended at people for various and sundry reasons.  Which of course leads me to think about the people who have been offended at me.  One night as I was considering a particular situation in the past, the thought flashed into my mind that this person had raised being offended to an art.  Immediately I felt the Holy Spirit urging me to pray, which I did at some length.  Probably about 15 years ago, I did a personal Bible Study on being offended and the Spirit of Offense.  At the time it seemed that I was either hurting people’s feelings or being hurt myself on a regular basis.  Not too long after this I heard a sermon … Read entire article »

    In Talladega there is a School for the Blind. It’s very interesting to have the “sight impaired” community here as we often see them walking with their white canes. I have always admired those with physical handicaps who’ve overcome and usually do very well with their lives. The other morning, as I was going to work, I saw a gentleman taking a morning stroll. He had a white cane and dark glasses so I recognized him as a blind person. As I watched him, I thought about all that he’d had to learn and how well the school had done in instructing him to walk around town unaided. Then the Holy Spirit spoke to me. It seems that we’ve done the same thing in the Church.       We have a condition, being born … Read entire article »